'Track II diplomacy" is the official neutral-sounding phrase used to refer to diplomatic efforts by "nonstate" actors. In thriller films and books, it's usually portrayed as a game of shadows between powerful but mysterious groups and individuals who may, or may not, be working ...

A friendly face promising better times, or a mask to conceal a brutal dictatorship? South Koreans are divided on Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North's leader, and her landmark visit to their country.
The first member of the North's ruling dynasty to set ...

South Korea on Thursday downplayed media reports that the U.S. might have reconsidered its choice to be ambassador to Seoul because the prominent Washington-based scholar didn't endorse the idea of military action against North Korea.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said that Washington ...

Japan will continue to pressure North Korea rather than encouraging dialogue over its internationally condemned nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Monday as the Diet kicked off a 150-day ordinary session.
"Dialogue in the absence of pressure cannot move North Korea ...

President Donald Trump often brags that he's done more in his first year in office than any other president. That's a spectacular stretch.
But while he's fallen short on many measures and has a strikingly thin legislative record, Trump has followed through on dozens of ...

A day of smiles and jokes at the first inter-Korean talks in two years quickly evaporated Tuesday night when the North's chief negotiator threatened to walk out after the South Korean side brought up Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
"We had started in a good ...

South Korea reportedly plans to announce on Tuesday its position on the agreement with Japan to permanently resolve their dispute over the "comfort women" and will not demand that it be renegotiated or scrapped.

The United States has applauded a $285-million cut in the U.N. core budget, saying it was "a big step in right direction."
The General Assembly adopted a budget of $5.396 billion for 2018-19, slightly below the $5.4 billion that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought.
The ...

U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated career foreign service officer Susan Thornton as top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, the White House said Tuesday, as a step to build a full-fledged team to tackle North Korea's escalating nuclear threat.
Thornton is expected to handle relations ...